UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository)

Search UvA-DARE

Take a break! Or not? The impact of mindsets during breaks on negotiation processes and outcomes

Journal

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

Volume | Issue number

44 | 2

Number of pages

8

Document type

Article

Faculty

Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG)

Institute

Psychology Research Institute (PsyRes)

Abstract

In the current research, we investigate the effects of breaks—temporary recesses in which participants stop interacting and
withdraw from the situation—on negotiation processes and outcomes. We conducted two laboratory experiments in which participants
engaged in buyer-seller negotiations. Experiment 1 (N = 140) showed that dyads reached higher-quality agreements after a break
in which they were cognitively busy with a distraction task than after a break in which they could reflect upon the negotiation.
Experiment 2 (N = 76) showed that competitive thinking during a break lead to lower-quality agreements than cooperative thinking
during the break. It seems that the negative effects of competitive thoughts during a break can be compensated by turning
one’s mind to other issues than the negotiation, or by actively engaging in cooperative thinking.

Disclaimer/Complaints regulations

If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let
the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible
and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library, or send a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
You will be contacted as soon as possible.